Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Pharmacies Are Limiting Sales Of Children's Meds As 'Tripledemic' Rages
CNN: CVS, Walgreens Limit Purchases Of Children's Pain-Relief Medicine
Increased demand has led CVS and Walgreens to limit purchases of children’s pain-relief medicine, the companies confirmed to CNN on Monday. CVS is restricting both in-person and online purchases to two children’s pain relief products. Walgreens has limited online purchases to six over-the-counter fever reducers per transaction, but it does not have an in-store purchase limit. (McPhillips, 12/19)
AP: Children's Medicine Shortage Hits As Flu Season Starts Fast
“At this point, it’s more like toilet paper at the beginning of the (COVID-19) pandemic,” said Dr. Shannon Dillon, a pediatrician at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis. “You just have to look in the right place at the right time.” Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson says it is not experiencing widespread shortages of Children’s Tylenol, but the product may be “less readily available” at some stores. The company said it is running its production lines around the clock. (Murphy, 12/19)
More on the spread of flu —
AP: Kentucky On Track For Worst Flu Season In At Least A Decade
Gov. Andy Beshear reported six flu-related pediatric deaths Monday as health officials warn that Kentucky is on pace for its worst influenza season in at least a decade. Beshear encouraged Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the flu. None of the children who died in the current influenza season received a flu shot, according to the Department for Public Health. (12/19)
The New York Times: The ‘Tripledemic’ Holiday: How To Fly More Safely (Hint: Wear A Mask)
You should “absolutely” be wearing masks while traveling, epidemiologists, infectious disease doctors and air-filtration experts said. Even though planes have great filtration systems, you’ll likely be on crowded planes with other travelers for extended periods of time, increasing the chances of exposure, said Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. (Mzezewa, 12/19)
Fortune: Why Do You Have A Sore Throat When You Wake Up In The Morning. Experts Say It's Not Always COVID Or Flu
It’s tripledemic season, with rising cases of COVID, flu, and RSV, so waking up with a sore throat can be pretty alarming. Do you have one of these potentially serious viruses? Strep throat? Just a cold? “When you first wake up with a sore throat, it’s difficult to know if you have a bacterial infection or virus without being tested for them directly,” says Dr. Barbara B. Bawer, a family medicine physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. It’s also possible that something such as allergies, acid reflux, or the lack of humidity in your bedroom is to blame. (Brody, 12/19)
